END OF THE WORLD

I liked this album very much, though there are few duller songs on it. That does not seem surprising, as the styles of the songs alter very drastically, reflecting perfectly the mash-up album cover's awesomeness. I believe there was much energy from new situations, as these musicians escaped their home country's troubles to France, and met new exiting sounds and lifestyles radiating from London. to their own interpretation. From the tracks, mentionable would be "The End of The World" opens the LP brilliantly with grandiose drama, fitting to 1960's Paris dance floors as slow piece and apocalyptic prayer for freaked out stoners. The sense of style and tone of Demis Roussos' vocals meet the massive style-array of Vangelis Papathanasiou's keyboard talents. "Don't Try to Catch A River" runs after harpsichord driven soft-rocker, reminding some funny keyboard-driven trios soon blossoming at Great Britain's scene. "Rain and Tears" is also a beautiful ballad, but shadowed by the album intro. "Valley of Sadness" is maybe another greates peak on this album from me, shimmering with spiritual belief and melancholic trust to turns of the fate. "The Grass is No Green" gives possibly hints of their forthcoming more adventurous "666" album, considering its form as aural landscape for Demis' reciting. The band has also opened an official youtube channel, and it is fun to see and hear that Demis was also quite good bass player. I would recommend this record to all who like 60's music, and also to those who are interested in the musical history of Vangelis and Demis Roussos, even though not liking the musical style of this album.

Interesting debut of AC is basically a typical product of its time. It is loaded with influences from British beat-psychedelia, cheesy 60s pop and some Greek folksy spices. Pop ballad "Rain and Tears" is the best known song, but more interesting moments for prog audience could be find in "The Grass Is No Green", "Shepherd and the Moon" and "Day of the Fool", where one can detect very early substance of what is to become more elaborated conceptual sounds of "666" or Vangelis' "Earth". Not many guitar is present here, but there is tons of Vangelis' keyboards, including Mellotrons, organ, harpsichord. Only, Roussos is sometimes irritating with his pitchy vocal and it is obvious that they were young, naive and full of ideas to experiment. Not a great album by any means, but a worthy early effort of folk-psychedelic "proto-prog".

Let me mention one thing with these Aphrodite's Child reviews : I tend to like their melodic and pop songs quite a lot. They have filled my ears when I was not even a teenager.

The title track sets the pace for this style. A great pop ballad tinted with some sweet psychedelai. But this album shows many facets of this band. Their fully psychedelic sound (but who didn't release psyche songs in 68?) with "Don't Try to Catch the River". Their folk orientation with The Shepherd and the Moon and "Mister Thomas" (which sounds pretty childish and not very interesting).

But even while they play their pop influenced songs like "Rain & Tears", they inject such a great melody and nice keys that I just can't help : I like it very much.

A song as "The Grass Is No Green" is more elaborate and combines psyche and folk influences. Not a fave of mine because it sounds a bit hectic to my ears but some might like it for these reasons.

The Shepherd and the Moon and Day of the Fool have some similarities with Floyd which might surprise more than one proghead.

This album is not a brilliant one but still it is original. Just remember that it was released some forty years ago and that rock music in Greece was not a usual concept in those days (and still isn't). For these reasons, I will rate this work with three stars; but it holds average music like "You Always Stand In My Way" (even if it is one of the very songs that rocks) deserving more five out of ten.

A very interesting pop rock album that hints very few things that were to come (like their conceptual 666). Actually Aphrodite´s Child showed quite some personality and uniqueness by uniting their obvious british pop rock/´psychedelic influences with greek folk music overtones here and there. The songwriting may be too straightforward for some progheads, but Vangelis keyboards and arrangements are far from common place. In fact, I found them to be quite bold for the time and being their first major effort as a group. Songs like The Grass Is No Green and Day Of The Fool are hardly what you call ´radio friendly´and were to be further developed on 666.

Not essential by any means, but a valid statement, specially if you are a Vangelis fan (keyboards dominate this album from beginning to end). And I like very much Demis Roussos voice.

A Forgotten Gem

Soon after APHRODITE'S CHILD was formed, the guitar player Anargyros "Silver Koulouris is called to the military Service and has to leave the bands (only to rejoin them for the recording of 666), so they turn into a trio with Artemios (Demis Roussos) taking both the bass and guitar.

With this emergency lineup they release "End of the World" in 1968, an album that lead them to fame due to the self titled single "End of the World" which reached N° 1 in most continental Europe, but the album is much more than a hit single, even when their Prog leanings are not yet so obvious, the adventurous and delicate blend of Psychedelia with Greek ethnic roots is simply delightful. Probably a bit naive in comparison with their masterpiece, but this kids were releasing very elaborate and interesting music when the 60's were dying.

The album starts with the title song in which the absolutely dramatic and clear voice of a young Demis Roussos creates a nostalgic moment only broken by his sentimental screams, but again, this is much more than just a ballad, the Greek Folk influence is more than evident while Vangelis adds outstanding organ sections with an evident Psyche/Prog orientation, I can't understand why people catalogue this outstanding song as soft POPO when it's one of the more advanced pieces of music you can listen in 1968, love the disheartening atmosphere and pure passion.

"Don't try to Catch a River" is much faster and snappy than "End of the World", but not less interesting, even when the funky entrance seems to announces a catchy POP track, the wonderful keyboards of Vangelis take us in a trip to an electronic Psychedelic universe, while that human metronome named "Lucas Sideras" adds dissonant backing vocals that prove how elaborate this track is.

People often criticize "Mister Thomas" and catalogues it as a childish song, but lets not forget this guys are Greek and want to include their ethnic roots into their music, yes, you can dance to it almost as you would do with a Tarantella, but they are shouting "We are Greeks and don't want to sound like a British band".

"Rain and Tears" is another track that obtained popularity for APHRODITE'S CHILD, and even when it's basically a ballad, the contrasting and dissonant choirs plus the subtle organ and violin, makes of it interesting from start to end.

Now it's time for "The Grass is no Green", an experimental song with an extremely strong ethnic component that gives us hints of what 666 will be, absolutely dramatic and disturbing, demonstrates that this guys are going for more than just a place in the Billboards combining their national essence with trippy Psyche.

"Valley of Sadness" sounds like a track taken from the 60's British Invasion, but again their Greek atmosphere make it unique and creates a contrasting mood with the heavy "You Stand in my Way" where Demis gives one of his best vocal performances.

As "Mister Thomas" before, "The Shepherd and the Moon" is a folksy song, but the distorted vocals and radical changes make it worth to be listened, the band tries to embrace Rock but never forgetting their essence, simply delightful and mysterious.

The album ends with "Day of the Fool", one of the proggiest and more challenging songs in the album, they go from Rock to some sort of melodic Prog, Avant Garde to an outstanding and extremely long organ solo by Vangelis, the perfect closer for an excellent album.

Before rating "End of the World" I must say that before last week I only heard this album once back in the 80's and didn't impressed me, so I udsed to believe tha APHRODITE'S CHILD was a mainstream band that released one Prog album (666) by luck.

But before placing it in a box with the albums I never listen decided to give "End of the World" a new chance, and my opinion has changed in 180° degrees, it's fantastic release in which the seeds of 666 are starting to blossom, so I can't rate it with less than 4 solid stars.

Big (men) in Paris

Famously known for bringing together keyboards maestro Vangelis and easy listening singer Demis Roussos, Aphrodite's Child were formed in Greece in 1968. The band was completed by Loukas Sideras on drums and Anargyros "Silver" Koulouris on guitar, with Roussos also playing bass. Intending to relocate to London, UK, the band got as far as Paris, France, where various factors combined to impede their progress. Rather than sit on their hands waiting, they signed a record contract in Paris, and released the single "Rain and tears" a few months later. The single found chart success in a number of European countries, so an album was quickly put together to capitalise on the success.

All the songs on "End of the world" were written by Vangelis (Papathanassiou) with non- band member Boris Bergman. Classical composer Johann Pachelbel also receives a credit for the use of his "Canon" melody on "Rain and tears". The album has in recent years become a sought after rarity, although it has now finally been released on CD and download.

This is very much a proto-prog album, full of sounds which are now of their time but which in 1968 were novel and exciting. It may seem hard to believe, but Demous Rousos singing is actually invigorated and inventive. The fact that he was and is a fine singer must have been a major factor in the success of the the band. Vangelis keyboard work is confined to more traditional instruments such as piano and organ, his dalliances with synthesiser still being a few years off.

At times, such as on "The grass is not green", we venture into more spacy, psychedelic territories, but generally the songs are well arranged pop based affairs. "You always Stand in My Way" features some unusually aggressive mellotron sounds, that instrument being more associated with pastoral orchestral effects.

One thing which noticeable is the lack of any significant lead guitar work, perhaps reflecting Anargyros Koulouris partial absence from the recordings (he was called up for military service around that time).

In all, an album which, to those hearing in the 2000's for the first time, will sound rather naïve and dated. We must however recognise the vast amount of music which this album pre-dates. Seen for what it is and when it was recorded, this is a highly inventive and satisfying début.

Recent releases include both sides of the band's first single"Plastics Nevermore/The other people" as bonus tracks. Both are interesting is an historical context, but not really worth seeking out.

Although APHRODITE'S CHILD is destined to go down in history for their classic double album "666" which chronicled passages of the Bible's Book Of Revelations in progressive and psychedelic rock musical form, their fascination with the apocalypse actually took root on their 1968 debut album END OF THE WORLD. While their first two albums are eclipsed by their third and their psychedelic pop years of the 60s have become mere faint backdrops in the midst of the stunning overpowering success of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and other powerhouses of the day, this Greek quartet turned trio that consisted of Vangelis Papathanassiou (keyboards), Demis Roussos (bass guitar and vocals), Loukas Sideras (drums and vocals), and Silver Koulouris (guitar) were quite successful in Europe right from the start with this debut selling quite well and scoring the hit single "Rain And Tears" which hit #1 in Italy and #2 in the Netherlands which sold over a million copies, however history has tended to forget about the earliest stages of Vangelis and company.

The story of APRODITE'S CHILD started in 1967 with Vangelis and Roussos having met after playing in their own respective bands that achieved some local success. Vangelis in Formynx and Roussos in Idols. Shortly thereafter they met guitarist Silver Koularis and drummer / keyboardist Loukas Sideras. Unfortunately just as the band had formed, Greece was rocked by the upset of a right-wing dictatorship commonly known as the Regime Of The Colonels which lasted from 1967-74 which is why Greece did not participate in the burgeoning prog scene as did most of the European continent. Vangelis, the de facto leader from the beginning, decided to relocate his newly formed band in London where they could carry on without the burdens of political turmoil but en route found themselves stuck in Paris during the 1968 strikes and student uprisings which delayed their musical ambitions for a short time. Another hurdle resulted when Koularis was forced to remain in Greece to complete his military service leaving the newly formed APHRODITE'S CHILD a mere trio. Koularis would not take part in the band until 1972's "666."

Undeterred the band found no problem attracting attention with their strong catchy compositions that took the pop hook sensibilities of The Beatles and married them with the trippy psychedelic organ ambience of The Moody Blues and Procol Harum with a Middle Eastern percussive backing that resulted from Roussos' earlier years having been spent in Egypt before his Greek family immigrated to the homeland. The result of this debut END OF THE WORLD is an interesting mix of UK inspired pop rock married with traditional Greek ballads, Middle Eastern bellydance and English psychedelia making the music of APHRODITE'S CHILD sound like no one else of the era. The title track opens which sets the overall vibe of the entire album with an almost James Bond 007 theme song type of feel with over the top pop vocals dressed up with a somewhat cheesy symphonic backdrop but the track morphs into powerhouse of classical piano prowess, percussive outbursts and dramatic dynamics shifting. It also is irresistibly catchy as Vangelis proved to be one of the great song writers of all of Europe.

"Don't Try To Catch A River" sounds more like a rock opera with Roussos delivering an almost Jesus Christ Superstar vocal performance with a catchy heavy rock beat flavored with a 60s psychedelic pop haze and nice backing vocals that are just as strong all the while utilizing the tribal percussive beats of Roussos' Middle Eastern roots. "Mister Thomas" was clearly inspired by the Beatles "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" with its circus like quirkiness and lyrical similarities. The big hit was "Rain And Tears" which was a major success in Europe and is a baroque pop tune that is a reworking of the German composer Johann Pachelbel's "Pachelbel's Canon." "The Grass Is Green" and "Day Of The Fool" are probably the most interesting tracks as they step out of the 60s mindset and display a much grander vision that is unfolding in their musical development that wouldn't come to fruition until "666" five years later. These tracks fit into the overall psychedelic pop scheme of things but have more sounds effects and progressive developments.

Personally i was quite surprised how much i liked this debut album as i was only expecting some generic 60s pop album that was a carbon clone of the British scene but that couldn't be farther from the reality. Even at these nascent stages of their career, Vangelis and Roussos were quite accomplished musicians and songwriters as END OF THE WORLD exhibits all the reasons why both artists would carry on to have immensely successful solo careers. While not as progressively accomplished as "666," END OF THE WORLD nevertheless exhibits the birth pangs of what would be expanded to become that album. This is a brilliant example of 60s psychedelic pop and for anyone interested in that scene should by no means miss out on this one. Roussos has a unique vocal style that gives a flair of exoticness as his Greek accent and Mediterranean influences clearly separate the band from the British scene all the while encompassing the best aspects of it. While the slower tracks may prove a little cheesy for the casual listener, the orchestrations of the compositions are fairly sophisticated for the average pop band drawing the obvious comparisons to The Moody Blues and Procol Harum. On the contrary to the title of the album, this was really just the beginning of APHRODITE'S CHILD and an excellent debut at that.

I never pretended I ever knew anything about Vangelis [perhaps I should rectify this once and for all], as famous as he may be or appear, but I (therefore?) had no clue he was in Aphrodite's Child. I'm considering this more of a re-dig into this early Symphonic Prog band, borne out of a Classical Crossover and the contemporary (international) Psychedelic Rock movements. I assume like many others, I first heard 666 (1972), their third and final album. I'd consider it at least adjacent to YouTubecore. [This will be a review for the 2010 remaster with 2 bonus tracks. More on that and my rating decision at the end.]

"End of the World" is a sweet, melancholic ballad. And given the time period and the general vibe of it, this is like a dark Moody Blues to my ears. Rooted in Trad Pop, yet full aware of the (Romantic?) Classical and the Psychedelic. The drums are pretty wild. "Don't Try to Catch a River" is a bright, upbeat number. I love the rhythm section in full view here and the sort of harpsicord sound. And I haven't mentioned it yet, but the vocals of Demis Roussos are just excellent. Full but gruff. "Mister Thomas" is an interesting Renaissance-evoking(?) song. A little silly. Very interesting, especially to hear this in 1968. This is not the Edwardian Classical Psych of the Beatles...

"Rain and Tears" feels like a Procol Harum-style Trad Pop lift of "Canon in D" [I highly recommend the "BEST WEDDING VERSION" available on YouTube /s]. It's very of the time, especially with, to me, that unavoidable Procol Harum feel. Up next is "The Grass is No Green" [sic?]. Sweet yet ominous, and then it picks up (for not the first time to my ears) in a way that seems to precede the darker lilt of other Classical obsessives ELP (maybe I'm misremembering, but a similar vibe to bands like Jackson Heights, too?). Very cool. Continuing in this still-very-Psychedelic vein is "Valley of Sadness", a shockingly upbeat number. Interesting vocal performance, and now, with that, my mind goes to early Bee Gees--I'll always recommend Bee Gees' 1st (1967). And then a short bouzouki solo! Hell yeah! The first time I had heard the instrument, to my knowledge, was through Zappa, who used it intermittently (if not randomly) through his career. But really, the general sound of the instrument here is reminiscent of the bright, twangling jangle of the beloved Byrds (but with a booming, post-Ringo-Paul rhythm section... all compliments, by the way).

The gruff returns on "You Always Stand in My Way"! Fantastic sound on this one. Booming bass and crashing keys underneath this awesome, basically Metal vocal performance (something about it reminiscent of Rod Stewart, if I can try to make a more popular connection... but that's just a small part of it). We are all over the place here as we once again shift focus on "The Shepherd and the Moon". More dark, nega-Moody Blues energy to my ears. Even as it falls away to a spoken poetic section over soft near-ambience (R.I.P. Graeme Edge). Interesting song. Certainly progressive haha. And finally for the original album run we have "Day of the Fool", with an eerie, haunting, [insert synonym here] allure. And indeed this is a dark song to close out the album. This will likely appeal (more than me) to many (early) Prog fans.

Finally finally we have the two bonus tracks, both singles from 1968. Up first, the quirky, buzzing positivity of "Plastics Nevermore". A lot of strange effects and definitely a balls-to-the-wall approach to production. This is sort of in the Magical Mystery Tour vein of early progressive ideations. Very interesting, to say the very least. Best to experience it yourself. And then, to close out this edition, we have "The Other People", with understandably comparable production to "Plastics". A lot less enthused about this one... A lot less.

Gonna stick to my guns on this (as stated above, as I reviewed here the 2010 remaster specifically), and round down from a True Rate of 3.5/5.0.